Two weeks ago, when we heard that major online job sites like Monster.com were hosting ads that said the unemployed need not apply, we were outraged.1How are we supposed to solve our employment crisis if the only way to GET a job is to already have one?!

So together, USAction/TrueMajority members gathered more than 26,000 signatures asking these companies to stop hosting help-wanted ads that discriminate against the unemployed. We also ran Facebook ads that targeted their staff and executives asking them to refuse these ads

Well, one of the companies called back, but not with the answer we’d hoped for: Monster.com sent us a “cease and desist” letter, demanding that we stop mentioning them in our campaign.2

These threats are even more frustrating because these corporations can clearly afford it: Revenue in the second quarter at Monster Worldwide Inc. rose 25 percent to $270 million from the prior year.3

And what’s more, they KNOW it’s wrong. When the New York Times first broke the news about these discriminatory ads, Monster responded by saying it actually counsels employers not to discriminate.4

Discrimination against the unemployed ought to be illegal. But until it is, it’s up to companies like Monster to refuse to work with people who practice discrimination – not attack those who speak out about it.

One Response to “Tell Monster.com we will not ‘cease and desist’”

This petition is misleading. I am an employment agency who uses Monster and there is no way Monster can restrict any candidate from applying for any job or restrict any candidate from coming up in my candidate searches because they are unemployed. Though an employer would be ridiculous to make that statement in their job posting, we do not need more restrictions to our freedom of speech. Already we cannot post “US citizens or Green card holders only” as that discriminates against people who are not US citizens or permanent resident citizens. What is next – restrictions to the number of years experience required or kind of degree required for a scientist or physician job posting?